Barnes Is Wrecker, Semple Alleges

Northern Advocate, 16 June 1947, Page 6

Barnes Is Wrecker, Semple Alleges

(P.A.) • CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. “MR BARNES is a wrecker. Let there be no misunderstanding on that score,” said the Minister of Works (Mr Semple) today. He carried the Semple—Barnes light a stage further in a long statement in which he stated inter alia: “Mr Barnes is ambitious for personal power.

“Because of his position as ] constitutes a real threat to indust of the people of this country.

president of a powerful union he rial peace and the general welfare

"He has made reference to my having been called upon to apologise for my abuse of Hitler before the war in stating publicly that the peace of Europe would never be secure whilst a mad dog like Hitler was rampaging around.

rupted by him, one of the important people in a key position." Mr Semple said his case was heard by 534 delegates at the recent Labour Party conference.

Mr Barnes failed to appear to speak on his own behalf. He failed to meet Mr McLagan's challenge to move a vole of no confidence in him, either before the Federation of Labour or Labour Party conferences. Delegates at the latter conference showed their confidence in him (Mr Semple) and Mr McLagan by an overwhelming vote of 530 to four. “Such a vote must surely be a warning to Mr Barnes that the Labour movement and the people of this country,- irrespective of political thought, will nol stand idly b.v whilst he pursues his wrecking tactics. NO ROOM HERE “Ail the so-calied security pacts with Harry Bridges of the Pacific coast of America and other leaders of similar tendencies to his own in Australia, which he is reported as negotiating, will not protect Mr Barnes from the wrath of the people aroused to the knowledge that the prospects of the prosperous era ahead are likely to be smashed by disruptive elements drunk with their own seeming power, and uncaring for those who will be hurt in the process. "There is no room in this country for wreckers, and I will fight to ensure that what has been achieved by the working people after a struggle over the years is not lost by the senseless action of unscrupulous industrial racketeers."

PROPIIESY WAS CORRECT

‘‘l may have been somewhat indiscreet from the viewpoint of international relationships, but at least I was right.

“It was a correct prophesy of future events and what I have said of Hitler and of the peace of Europe, I might now say with equal truth of Mr Barnes and the industrial peace of this country. “As for his loyalties, like all seekers of personal power he has few, if any. “Certainly he has none to the Labour movement or to the Government. “He has been directly responsible for the breakdown of the Waterfront Control Commission set up by the Government at the request of the union.

“Mr Barnes was a member of the commission.

“He had pledged himself to the Prime Minister that he would do everything to make the commission work, but in fact. did everything within his power to destroy it. “He has proved his disloyalty to the Labour movement and to the Government time and time again, and his unreasoning search for power is shown by such impossible demands he makes of the Government as his proposal for a waterfront commission of one Government representative and three Watersiders' Union representatives, with none at all to the shipping interests. W\ “IN KEY POSITION” "I stated earlier that Mr Barnes is a wrecker, and if the following expressions of his views, extracted from the New Zealand Transport Worker of December 1, 1946, are not evidence of this, then I do not understand the meaning of the words: ‘Today our Labour power is in great demand. Our services are at a premium. Society is so highly geared that it requires little to disrupt. “ ‘We are in a key position. It will be in the interests of New Zealand if a commission functions, but if we are not going to receive satisfaction of our just demands, we must reserve the right to scrap it and fight from the basis of industrial unionism, mobilismg and using our power to the fullest extent.’ “I have said that he menaces the industrial welfare of this country,” Mr Semple added. “THREAT IN EVERY WORD” “His statement above proves it. He is feeling his power. There is a threat in every word and phrase of his message, and the public would do well to read it carefully to measure the unscrupulousness of a man who points to a highly-geared society which can be dis-